Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

How, ‘After one’s only daughter had insisted on marrying a man like that, you still have to thank your God that the biggest problem you got later was having a grand daughter with spindly legs that are too long for a woman, and too thin to be of any use.

1. What does Nana lament? (Understanding)
2. What kind of man did Maami marry? Was it a happy marriage? (Recalling)
3. What evil of the society does the passage refer to? (Analysis)
4. Why is Nana not happy with Adjoa’s legs? (Understanding)
5. What is Nana’s ideal of a perfect woman? (Understanding and Analysis)

Answer 1

1. Nana laments that her daughter, Maami, married a man she did not approve of. She feels that, despite this, she should be grateful that the only major problem that came later was Adjoa’s long, thin legs.
2. Maami married a man whom Nana considered unsuitable. The story suggests that Nana was unhappy with Maami’s choice and did not have a good opinion of her son-in-law. The marriage is not presented as a completely happy one from Nana’s perspective.
3. The passage refers to the patriarchal attitude of society towards women. Women are judged according to traditional expectations, especially their appearance, marriage and ability to bear and rear children. Their worth is often linked to their fulfilment of these roles.
4. Nana thinks Adjoa’s legs are too long and thin to be useful for a woman. She believes that a woman should have strong, properly built legs so that she can fulfil traditional expectations, particularly motherhood.
5. Nana’s ideal woman is physically strong, properly built and capable of becoming a mother and performing traditional family responsibilities. Her idea is shaped by traditional and patriarchal beliefs, which judge a woman mainly by her suitability for motherhood and domestic roles.